Analytic Calculus of Response Time in Networked Automation Systems

This paper presents a novel approach to evaluate the response time in networked automation systems (NAS) that use a client/server protocol. The developments introduced are derived from modeling the entire architecture in the form of timed event graphs (TEGs), as well as from the resulting state representation in Max-Plus algebra. The various architectural stages are actually modeled in a very abstract pattern, which yields just those TEG models where local delays are sufficient to perform the overall evaluation. In this manner, linear Max-Plus equations are obtained. A thorough analysis of these equations has led to analytical formulas for direct calculus of NAS response time. As a final step, experimental measurements taken on a laboratory facility have been used to verify the validity of the results. In conclusion, the benefit and effectiveness of this novel method have been demonstrated.